Abstract:
This paper reports on the outcomes of a study focusing on the impact of gender on children’s (aged 5-6) book preferences and their reading interests in their first year of formal schooling. The research project was conducted with thirty-nine 5-year-old children (20 girls, 19 boys) in a primary school in South Australia. The research employed the Reading Interest Scale (RIS) and a book preference task. Each child completed an individually administered Reading Interest Scale that assessed their enjoyment in reading-related activities and a book preference task that measured their preference for fiction and non-fiction books. The results reveal that the difference between girls’ and boys’ attitudes towards reading was significant. Girls have a more positive attitude towards reading than boys. Also, the difference in children’ book preferences for fiction and non-fiction was obvious. It was found that girls’ have a higher preference for fiction books and boys’ have a higher preference for non-fiction books. These results may be the outcome of educational settings. The paper concludes with discussion of implications for further research into parents’ perceptions and reading practices regarding gender. Keywords: early childhood, gender, genre, literacy, book preferences, attitude to reading